CONSERVATION STATEMENT - Carnegie Library, Lambeth
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Carnegie Library, Lambeth
CONSERVATION STATEMENT
Prepared by: Kathryn Sather & Associates
Kathryn Sather & Associates
Heritage Conservation Consultants
87 Oldfield Road
Altrincham
WA14 4BL
Tel: 0161 941 1414
e-mail: ksa@ksaconservation.co.uk
March 2014
The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
Executive Summary
The Carnegie Library, on Herne Hill Road, Lambeth, was opened in 1906. The building continues to
function as a library. Proposals are being considered for a range of uses of the building, to include
some commercial (rented) space as well as areas for the library and other community uses, in line
with Lambeth Council’s policies which aim to develop Cooperative Libraries and Community Hubs.
The Council is funding an options appraisal to assess alternative uses to wrap around the library
provision. The Options Appraisal is being led by the Carnegie Library Project Group which aspires
to submit an asset transfer request to Lambeth Council for the building to be managed by an
independent trust.
The Carnegie Library is Listed Grade II and is a significant building for several reasons, including its
architectural importance, the importance to the community, and the importance to the street scene
along Herne Hill Road. The Library was built with money donated by Andrew Carnegie and is an
early example of a library with open stacks, allowing public access to browse bookshelves.
There are several conservation risks and issues to be addressed including: the poor condition of
some of the terracotta elements, changes of use that are community orientated or income
generating, issues of future ownership and management, damaging previous alterations and
insertions, providing disabled access and new services, the costs of repair and conversion, and the
cost of future maintenance of the Library.
Outline conservation and management aims have been proposed to help inform the Options
Appraisal. The outline conservation and management aims cover the topics of public access,
disabled access, appropriate uses, public appreciation and interpretation, the retention of significant
elements and spaces, the removal of unsympathetic alterations and insertions, support for a repair
and conversion project and future ownership and management,
The next steps have been identified which include: completion of the Options Appraisal process and
public consultation leading to a preferred option for future use, the developing proposals for an
asset transfer and proposals to bid for Heritage Lottery and other funding, commissioning a
Condition Survey of the terracotta, commissioning a Heritage Impact Assessment, commissioning a
full Conservation Plan, commissioning an Activity Plan and Interpretation Plan and adoption of the
policies of the Conservation Plan.
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The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
Table of Contents
Executive Summary........................................................................................................... 3
Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. 4
1. Introduction.............................................................................................................. 5
2. Understanding the Building and Its Setting .......................................................... 6
2.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.2. Historical Overview .......................................................................................................... 6
2.2.1 Public Libraries........................................................................................................ 6
2.2.2 Andrew Carnegie .................................................................................................... 7
2.2.3 The History of Carnegie Library............................................................................... 8
2.3. Management Information............................................................................................... 14
2.4. Architectural Overview................................................................................................... 14
2.4.1 Building Materials .................................................................................................. 14
2.4.2 Exterior ................................................................................................................. 14
2.4.3 The Grounds ......................................................................................................... 19
2.4.4 Interior - Lower Ground Floor ................................................................................ 21
2.4.5 Interior- Ground Floor ............................................................................................ 24
2.4.6 Interior- The First Floor.......................................................................................... 35
2.5. The Setting .................................................................................................................... 38
3. Significance ........................................................................................................... 39
3.1. Statement of Significance .............................................................................................. 39
3.1.1 Overview of Significance ....................................................................................... 39
3.2. Schedule of Significance ............................................................................................... 41
3.2.1 Significance Tables ............................................................................................... 42
3.3. Significance Plans ......................................................................................................... 43
4. Condition of the Building ...................................................................................... 48
4.1. General Condition ......................................................................................................... 48
4.2. External Condition ......................................................................................................... 48
4.3. Internal Condition .......................................................................................................... 50
5. Conservation Risks and Issues............................................................................ 53
6. Outline Conservation and Management Aims .................................................... 54
7. Next Steps .............................................................................................................. 56
8. Sources .................................................................................................................. 57
Appendix 1: Statutory Listed Building Description ..................................................... 58
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The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
1. Introduction
The Carnegie Library is situated on Herne Hill Road in the London Borough of Lambeth. It was
opened in 1906 and listed as Grade II in 1981. Today the building houses a local library and other
library services. It is currently proposed that the library will still remain in a section of the building,
but the remaining space will be available for other uses. The council has designated the building as
a “Community Hub” and they anticipate it will be used for a variety of community and other uses.
Conservation Statement (Statement of Significance) examines the heritage, why it is significant,
what are the risks and opportunities to the heritage and how the building should be cared for. This
document aims to be integrated and holistic and should include information about all the different
kinds of heritage on the site and why they are important. There are a number of intended purposes
for the Conservation Statement including: to guide and inform the development of appropriate
proposals for the future uses of the building, to guide and inform future conservation and to inform a
full Conservation Plan (Conservation Management Plan) that will be commissioned at a later date.
The conservation statement covers the structure of The Carnegie Library, Lambeth in its entirety,
inclusive of all areas of the building, but excluding the flats to the first floor.
This report follows the guidance in the Heritage Lottery Fund document Conservation Management
Planning,1 and the principles established in the English Heritage publication Conservation
Principles, Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment.2
Sketch of the Carnegie Library, July 8 1906, Lloyds Weekly News
1
Heritage Lottery Fund, Conservation Management Planning: Integrated Plans for Conservation, New Work,
Physical Access, Management and Maintenance at Heritage Sites. (London: Heritage Lottery Fund, April
2008).
2
English Heritage, Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the
Historic Environment, (London: English Heritage, April 2008).
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The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
2. Understanding the Building and Its Setting
2.1. Introduction
Location
The Carnegie Library is located towards the top of Herne Hill Road, the main thoroughfare through a
residential area of the London Borough of Lambeth. The London Borough of Lambeth lies to the
south of the River Thames, with the northern section of the borough abutting the River.
Plan Showing the Location of the Site
2.2. Historical Overview
2.2.1 Public Libraries
A period of campaigning by Liberal MPs in the mid-1800s led to the Public Libraries Act being
passed in 1850. The Act was advocated by groups such as the Free Library Movement, which
campaigned for the “improvement of the public” through education. One of the mottoes of the public
library movement was “a book for every person.”3 As the Act was vehemently opposed by the
Conservative Party, those supporting the Act were forced to make a few compromises. These were
as follows:
The borough would need a population of over 10,000 in order to open a library;
Over two-thirds of rate payers in the borough would have to approve the plans;
Rates in the borough could only be increased by half a penny in the pound to cover the cost
of the service – but it could not be used to buy books.
3
Matthew Battles, Library - An Unquiet History, (London: Vintage Publishing, 2003)
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The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The little money that was raised through rates to establish free libraries was insufficient and in many
areas growth was dependant on wealthy benefactors. There were a few notable figures who
contributed greatly to the cause, namely John Passmore Edwards, Henry Tate and Andrew
Carnegie. With the help of these patrons by 1900 there were 295 public libraries across Britain. In
1919 the Public Libraries Act was reformed, giving responsibility for the establishment and running
of local libraries to County Councils as opposed to Borough Councils. County Councils could now
set up libraries without holding referendums.4
2.2.2 Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland, but emigrated to Pennsylvania, United States of America at
the age of 12. In his youth he had been invited to use the private library of Colonel James
Anderson, who had opened his library to the less fortunate boys of the city of Allegheny. This had
such an effect on Andrew Carnegie, that he vowed “if ever wealth came to me, [to see to it] that
other poor boys might receive opportunities similar to those for which we were indebted to this noble
man.”5
Andrew Carnegie made his fortune in the Pittsburgh region of the United States, mainly in the steel
and construction industries. As a very generous man, in his 30s he decided to take a wage of
$50,000 per year and spend the rest of his profits on “benevolent purposes.” In his lifetime he gave
away approximately 90% of his fortune, a sum of $333,000,000. Carnegie believed that those who
endeavoured to educate themselves were deserving of the opportunity, and he considered library
construction as part of his vision for “improvement of mankind.” With every donation by Carnegie
there were certain responsibilities that the community would have to fulfil. The community had to
4
Politics.co.uk. Web: < http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/public-libraries>.
5
Stuart Murray, The Library An Illustrated History, (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2009) 183.
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The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
provide the site of the library; the local government was required to maintain the structure and pay
the staff and they had to use public funds as well as private donations to run the library. Carnegie
hoped this would build a strong relationship between the community and the library, ensuring it
became part of the fabric of public life, and recognised as an asset to the local community.
When he was in his 50s, he donated $330,000 for the erection of a library and community centre in
the Allegheny. This was the first of over 2,800 free public library buildings that Carnegie would help
to finance, of which 660 are in Great Britain and Ireland. Carnegie donated the funds for small
community libraries that would serve the general public, as well as funding large academic libraries
and institutes. His philanthropy was not limited to the United States. In 1881 Carnegie donated
funds to Dunfermline, his home town in Scotland, to establish a library. Libraries were donated to
England and much of the English-speaking world including New Zealand, the West Indies, Australia
and South Africa.
2.2.3 The History of Carnegie Library
Mr. F J Burgoyne, the Chief Librarian of the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth applied to Andrew
Carnegie in May 1902 for a grant to build a library for the Herne Hill and Tulse Hill areas. Carnegie
had mainly donated funds to Scotland and America until this time, and a previous application in
1901 by Mr Burgoyne had been rejected. Carnegie always ensured that communities receiving his
grants would be able to maintain and run the library once erected. Mr. Carnegie directly asked the
Council if this would be the case, to which Mr. Burgoyne responded that there was “no danger that
the library would be starved.” Satisfied, Carnegie agreed to a grant of £12,500 required to
“complete the library system.”
1870 OS Map Showing Herne Hill Area
The land was purchased from Mr R. Saunders by the council for £1100. Quantity Surveyors,
architects and builders were invited to tender for the work. Twenty five architectural firms submitted
tenders for the job and six were shortlisted. Eventually H. Wakeford and Sons were chosen.
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The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
One of the Unsuccessful Shortlisted Designs for Herne Hill Library, by Thomas Wallis
Burgoyne, the Chief Librarian, had previously written a book on Library design in 1897, Library
Construction: Architecture, Fittings and Furniture. As Chief Librarian, Mr Burgoyne was involved in
the proposals for the new library, and several of the elements found in the Carnegie Library
including the shelving, are mentioned in the book. Correspondence sent to Mr. Carnegie also states
that “the Library has been designed upon a plan suggested by the arrangements of the Carnegie
district libraries in Pittsburgh.”6 The plans included the main lending library, reading rooms, a
children’s library, staff office, workroom, a room for repairs and file storage, a first floor lecture hall
and basement storage area and heating chamber. A Librarian’s residence was also included in the
original design. The builders were Holliday and Greenwood, with a cost of £11,316.
In late July 1903, after the tenders were accepted, Mr. Carnegie’s Secretary requested to view the
plans. Mr. Carnegie replied that the inclusion of an apartment for the Librarian was not included in
the offer of the grant and a flurry of letters were exchanged, with explanations for the need and
benefit of the apartments and offers of alternative plans. Finally, in early October, the original plans
were accepted as the savings of £500 by omitting the Librarian’s accommodation was not worth the
cost of preparing new plans.7
6
The National Archives of Scotland, GD281/3/2056/22.
7
The National Archives of Scotland, GD281/3/2056/1-59.
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The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
1906 Plan for the Carnegie Library Ground Floor
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Herne Hill Library, Lambeth c. 1909
In 1902 it was estimated that a sum of £1000 a year would be sufficient to run the new library. This
sum included £250 a year for new books, £100 a year for newspapers and periodicals, and £400 for
salaries.8 London County Council gave a grant of £500 for books for the new library. The library
was substantially completed by late April 1906 and formally opened to the public on the 9th of July
1906. The Librarians’ Work Room was fitted out with oak bookshelves, which still remain. When it
first opened the main library area was fitted out with fine steel bookshelves that fanned out in a sun-
ray design. This “Open Access” design of the library enabled visitors to walk around the books and
choose them without the need for a librarian to locate and fetch the book. The open access system
was so unusual at the time it was mentioned in a newspaper article stating, “One of the features of
the new library will be that borrowers may pass behind the counter and select their own books from
the shelves, registering them as they pass out.”9 For some time, the Herne Hill Library, as it was
originally known, was the only library in Lambeth with an open access system.
1906 Proposed Landscaping Plan
8
The National Archives of Scotland, GD281/3/2056/1-59.
9
Lloyds Weekly News, July 8, 1906.
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The original plans included landscaped areas to three of the sides of the building. These
landscaped areas included areas of lawn, gravel paths and circular beds. The rear of the site
contained an area set aside for a kitchen garden as well. As the Library was built for £11,316, less
than the allocated budget of £12,500, the Council commissioned two globe lamps on metal stands.
These lamps were positioned on brick piers either side of the entrance steps.
Herne Hill Library, Lambeth c. 1916
1916 OS Map
The Library building, walls and railings were listed Grade II in 1981. There have been several
changes of use and alterations internally and externally. The metal bookshelves, originally set out
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in a fan design in the Main Library, had been removed by the 1980s. Two lanterns on metal stands
previously stood on the pillars either side of the entrance steps. These lanterns were removed
sometime after 1961. The former Llibrarian’s residence has been sub-divided to form four council
flats, three of which have been sold privately since 1990. Three garages, for the use of the
apartments, were built to the rear of the Library along Haredale Road, in 1972. There has been a
decrease in the amount of public space within the library building. Over the years former public
rooms have been converted into office and storage space for the mobile and other borough-wide
library services. Later alterations included creating a parking area to the rear of the Library along
Ferndene Road and internal alterations such as inserting partitions and rolling stacks in two rooms.
Carnegie Library Staff, c. 1920
1961 Former Lantern
to Main Entrance
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By the late 1990s the opening hours of the library had been drastically cut to 16 hours, which
resulted in a fall in visitor numbers. The library was threatened with closure by the council in 1999,
but the Friends of Carnegie Library campaigned for three years to keep the building open. The
book stock began to improve and music cassettes became available again. In 2000, the Friends
created an Art Gallery in a former reading room and opened the facility with an exhibition of John
Ruskin, an important local resident. Today, this space is used for various community uses including
a craft group, a chess club and adult literacy reading groups. The arrival of the internet further
improved the library’s visitor numbers and from 2003 the library has been open for 31 hours per
week.10 The Friends have also recently created the Reading and Wildlife Garden to the rear of the
Main Library, with funding from the Big Lottery and other funders. The garden area is maintained by
local volunteers, is used by library visitors and is much valued.
2.3. Management Information
The Carnegie Library is currently owned and managed by Lambeth Council. The Council currently
funds the repairs and maintenance of the building, as well as providing revenue funding for the
library service to operate for 31 hours per week. Proposals are being developed that would involve
transferring ownership to a trust, which could manage the areas of the building not used for library
services. This would be take place as part of the Council’s Community Asset Transfer policy which
aligns with policies seeking to expand community access into civic, Council owned buildings e.g. the
Cooperative Libraries and Community Hubs policies.
2.4. Architectural Overview
2.4.1 Building Materials
The Carnegie Library is constructed of red brick with terracotta dressings. The roof is covered with
Lakeland slate and the doors are of timber. Many of the windows retain the original leaded glass
panes.
2.4.2 Exterior
Eastern Elevation
The eastern elevation fronts onto Herne Hill Road and contains the main entrance to the building. It
is seven bays wide, the central and end bays projecting under gables. The front range of the
building rises to one storey, and has two bell cupolas to the ridge of the roof. The terracotta
dressings to this elevation are classical in style with examples of draped cartouches, arched door
openings, rusticated plinth, pediments over windows, a broken pediment to the main entrance,
string courses and ionic columns. The windows to the two ends bays are terracotta head mullion
and transom windows in a Tudor style, set in arched openings. They are of 24 lights, all of which
are leaded and some contain decorative motifs. The windows in the bays to either side of the main
entrance are similarly terracotta mullion and transom windows, but of a smaller scale, of nine lights
and set in rectangular openings. All of the windows in this elevation are framed by Ionic pilasters
with pediment and cartouche above. The round arched opening to the main entrance porch is set
within a rusticated terracotta panel. It is flanked by Ionic pilasters that support a broken pediment
with draped cartouche decoration. To the upper section of the arched opening is a section of
decorative cast iron with metal letters spelling “Carnegie Library”. The door itself is recessed from
the arched opening, is timber panelled with upper decorative glass panels and brass kick plates.
There is a small section of balcony above the pediment, with side balustrades of terracotta.
10
London Borough of Lambeth Council: Information from the Invitation to Tender, 2013.
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The Central Section of the East Elevation
The Northern-most Bay of the East Elevation The Southern-most Bay of the East Elevation
Northern Elevation
The elevation faces onto Ferndene Road. It too is of red brick with many elements of terracotta
decorative detail. The elevation is six bays in total. The eastern section of the elevation is
comprised of a two-bay single storey (with lower ground floor) return, which adjoins a three storey
side wing of four bays. The windows to upper floor of the single storey section are again, as with
the eastern elevation, terracotta mullion and transom windows, of nine lights and set in rectangular
openings. These are also framed by Ionic pilasters with pediment and cartouche above. The
windows to the lower ground floor have been altered, with the terracotta mullions removed and the
presumably leaded lights replaced with much simpler, three light mullion windows with single
opening casement to the upper portion of the central light.
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The North Elevation
The three-storey section of the elevation has projecting bays at each end, under decorative
pediments with swag cartouches and date stones. The eastern most projecting bay contains an
entrance to the library. This is not as grand as the main entrance, and consists of double timber
doors set within a rusticated terracotta panel with deep arched terracotta hood mould above the
door recess. The windows in this section of the elevation are of a combination of styles. To the
lower ground floor level they are terracotta mullion and transom windows of nine lights of varying
glass, leaded glass and Perspex. To the first floor they are terracotta mullion and transom windows,
of nine lights and set in rectangular openings, framed by Ionic pilasters with pediment and cartouche
above. To the upper floor there are nine light terracotta mullion and transom windows set in arched
openings with hood mould, key stone and quoin effect. The glass is leaded. Further terracotta
decoration to the elevation includes a heavy modillioned cornice and string courses.
The Single Storey Return, North Elevation Entrance in the North Elevation
The West Elevation
The west elevation contains a single storey central section with three-storey side wings. The
southern three-storey side wing is very plain, with little architectural detailing other than a terracotta
course and dentilated eaves cornice. There are no windows to this section of the elevation. The
central single storey section of the elevation is also less decorative than other elevations. The
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windows are terracotta mullion and transom of six lights with decorative leading and stained glass.
There are three entrances in the elevation, two of which are accessed via steps. The northern
entrance gives access to the lower ground floor and has a simple recessed brick entrance. The
central entrance way is comprised of a timber door with upper glass panels. The entrance to the
south of the elevation provides access to the flats in the southern three-storey wing, and is
comprised of a flight of steps with doorways to the top and bottom. Both are timber, painted green.
That to the top of the steps has upper glass panels and is set in a timber surround; the door to the
lower level is solid timber. There are five windows in the southern three storey wing, all variations of
terracotta mullion and transom windows with leaded lights with terracotta quoin effect to the window
openings.
Southern-most Side Wing Windows to Central Section
Windows in the Southern Three Storey Wing Doorway in Southern Three Storey Wing
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South Elevation
The southern elevation faces onto Haredale Road and contains a higher amount of decorative
terracotta detail. The elevation is five bays in total. The eastern section of the elevation is
comprised of the two-bay single storey return, which adjoins the three-storey side wing containing
the apartment accommodation. This is of three bays, with central entranceway. The windows to
upper floor of the single storey section are again, as with the eastern elevation, terracotta mullion
and transom windows, of nine lights and set in rectangular openings, framed by Ionic pilasters with
pediment and cartouche above. The three-storey wing has a projecting bay at either end under
gables with terracotta pediment and cartouche decoration. The windows at ground floor level to
these bays are nine light terracotta mullion and transom windows set in arched openings with hood
mould, key stone and quoin effect. The glass is leaded lights. To the first and second floors they
are four light mullion and transom windows with leaded lights and some opening casements. The
central section of the wing has similar four light mullion and transom windows with leaded lights to
all floors. The windows at first and second floor have terracotta quoin effects to the window
openings. The doorway in the centre of the three-storey wing is set within a rusticated terracotta
panel, and is recessed underneath a deep moulded terracotta hood mould. Further terracotta
decoration to the elevation includes a heavy modillioned cornice, rusticated terracotta panel to the
ground floor, swag motifs to the projecting bays and string courses.
The South Elevation
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Central Entrance to the Apartments West End of the Three Storey Wing
2.4.3 The Grounds
Eastern Area
To the east of the structure, either side of the main entrance are landscaped areas, with paved
paths and small areas of planting. There are beds laid out to either side of the concrete pathway,
and small circular beds cut into the centre of the pathways themselves. The boundary to this area is
a combination of brick wall surmounted with terracotta and piers and railings, although holes
showing the location of previous railings indicate that the current railings are not the originals. A
central staircase gives access to the main entrance of the library.
Landscaped Eastern Area Piers and Railings at Entrance
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The Northern Area
The landscaped area to the east extends around the northern side of the building up to the pathway
that provides access to the building. Again, the boundary treatment here is a combination of brick
walls surmounted by terracotta with brick piers and metal railings. To the west side of the pathway
the path and planted areas continue. To the far west end is a small paved area, used for
vanparking.
Parking Area to the North The Northern Area
The Southern Area
The landscaped area to the east also extends around to the southern side of the building, to the
eastern side of the entrance pathway. To the west of the pathway there is a paved area with three
brick garages and access to a garden area. The boundary to the south of the area is brick walls
surmounted with terracotta with brick piers and railings. A high quality decorative iron gate,
apparently original, is located along the boundary wall at the entrance to the flats.
The Car Park and Garages to the South The Original Gate to the Flats
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Reading and Wildlife Garden
To the west of the building there is the Reading and Wildlife Garden. This is situated to the rear of
the main library area and is accessed via a gate to the south or directly from the Library. The area
is laid with grass and there are numerous mature trees and shrubs.
Reading and Wildlife Garden to the West Reading and Wildlife Garden to the West
2.4.4 Interior - Lower Ground Floor
The lower ground floor can be accessed via an internal staircase to the north side of the area, or via
external doors in the west and north elevations. The door in the west elevation is a panelled timber
door, with upper glass panels of four lights. It is painted green and set in a moulded timber
surround. The doors in the northern elevation are double timber panelled doors with square
fanlight.
External Doors in the West Elevation Doors in the North Elevation
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Corridor (East)
The doors in the north elevation give access to a corridor that runs along a north-south axis at the
eastern end of the space. This corridor provides access to the staircase, the lift, the male toilets,
the Home Delivery Stockroom and the Undercroft Storage Area. The decoration to the corridor is
plastered and painted to the upper section and laid with decorative ceramic tiles to the lower
section. The tiles are a combination of plain maroon, plain cream and a border of floral motif in
yellow and maroon. The floor is covered in terrazzo. Both the tiles and the terrazzo floor are the
same as those found in the Stair Hall. The doorway to the Undercroft Storage Area shows signs
that it was previously a sliding doorway on runners.
Corridor to the East Corridor to the South
Corridor (South)
A corridor running along an east-west axis to the south side of the space provides access to the
female toilets, the disabled toilets and the boiler room. This has less decorative detail than the
corridor to the east. It is plaster and painted to the upper section and has simple glazed maroon
tiles to the lower section. The floor is concrete screed and the roof is concrete covering corrugated
metal with steel beams. There is a large amount of pipe work fastened to the ceiling in this area.
The Female Toilets
The female toilets are located to the west of the lower ground floor. The space contains three toilet
cubicles, a sink, hand dryer and mirror. The decorative scheme is of white tiles. The new flooring is
sheet vinyl.
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The Female Toilets The Boiler Room
The Boiler Room
The Boiler Room occupies the western most section of the area. The room is accessed via a door
in the south wall, from the corridor. It contains the boilers and associated pipe work. The walls are
painted blue but not plastered. The floor is concrete screed. There is evidence of former engine
blocks on the floor.
The Home Delivery Stockroom
The Home Delivery Stockroom is located at the northeast corner of the Lower Ground Floor. The
walls and ceiling are plastered, and the floor is solid. The lighting is fluorescent. In 2004 a series of
rolling stacks were installed in the room along the north wall and a small office area created from
part of the Undercroft Storage Area. There are two external windows, but the metal frames are not
original and the leaded glass pane and terracotta mullions have been removed. Leaded glass
windows and terracotta mullions, stored in the Basement Storage Area, may have come from these
windows.
Stored Leaded Glass Window Panes
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Rolling Stacks Office Area
The Undercroft Storage Area
The Undercroft Storage Area is located beneath the single-storey range in the centre of the building,
directly to the south of the southern corridor. It is accessed via doors in the north wall, leading from
the southern corridor. It has brick walls, with some areas of breeze block. The roof is of corrugated
metal covered in concrete, supported in places by steel beams. The floor is concrete with no
skirting board or decoration. The space is currently used as storage for the Library and the Council.
The Undercroft Storage Area The Undercroft Storage Area
2.4.5 Interior- Ground Floor
The Entrance Lobby
The Entrance Lobby to the Library is grand and filled with architectural details. The walls are
plastered and painted light cream, with a deep moulded architrave. There are decorative ceramic
tiles to the lower sections of the walls, with an art nouveau floral motif. There are also applied
pilasters in the corners either side of the main entrance doorway. The doorways both into the
entrance lobby and those giving access to the Community Services Office, Children’s Library and
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the Main Library are all of double timber doors with upper glass panels and arched fanlight. The
glass panels all contain leaded lights with elements of the same decorative floral designs. The
flooring is terrazzo. There is a central mosaic depicting the seal of the Metropolitan Borough of
Lambeth (1900) and a dedication plaque with a bas relief of Andrew Carnegie. The ceiling is
plastered and painted blue, with decorative moulded timber elements in white and a central roof
light containing a stained glass design.
The Entrance Lobby Ceramic Tiles in the Entrance Lobby
Roof Light with Stained Glass Design Decorative Timber Work
The Main Library
The main library is located in the centre of the structure, to the rear. It is a long rectangular room
with pillars of Corinthian order either side of a central domed roof light. Walls are plastered and
painted with decorative moulded dado rail and panelling below. There is also a moulded picture rail
and applied pilasters in some areas. The flooring is herringbone parquet with a deep moulded
timber skirting board. There are four internal windows in the east wall of the room; each one is a
timber mullion and transom window of thirty-six lights, set into an arched opening. Some of the
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 25The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
lights contain elements of leading glass. The ceiling is coffered and painted, with further rectangular
roof lights in the south east and north east corners.
The East and South Walls of the Main Library The South and West Walls of the Main Library
Other historic fixtures of interest include cast-iron radiators, original window and door furniture.
Fittings in this room are all modern and include numerous free standing metal bookshelves with a
timber-effect siding and the reception desk which is located on the east wall. The lighting in the
room is modern, square metal frames suspended from the ceiling.
Stock Support Services, including Lobby and Lift (Formerly Children’s Room)
To the north of the main library is an office (formerly the Children’s Library), occupying a rectangular
room located within the northern three-storey wing. It is accessed via timber double doors from the
main library. The space has been partitioned to the east end to provide a lobby and lift structure.
The office space is plastered and painted with decorative picture rail in a contrasting colour. There
is also a deep moulded architrave and deep moulded timber skirting board. The ceiling is again
coffered and painted. Lighting is modern and suspended. The floor in this area is carpeted; it is not
certain if the original parquet flooring survives underneath. The western section of the office is
occupied with office furniture; the north-eastern end houses numerous archiving shelves. The
doorway into the lobby from the office is a timber panelled door set in a moulded timber frame.
West and North Walls of the Stock Support Services
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 26The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The lobby area created by the insertion of a partition wall is accessed via a single timber door from
the office to the west or a set of double timber doors from the library to the south. The door to the
office is timber panelled, set within a moulded timber surround. The original double doors to the
library are more decorative, timber with upper decorative leaded glass panels and original hardware.
Original Doors Between the
Main Library and the Lobby
The Lobby area is plain, with little architectural detail. It has plastered walls, painted cream with a
combination of deep and shallow timber skirting board. There is a great deal of modern wiring and
pipe work in the south east corner. The lobby provides access to the lift lobby and lift, which extend
to the north east. Moulded architrave and chamfered corners have been applied to the exterior of
the lift lobby/ lift insertion for decorative effect. The lift lobby/ lift area is formed by a further inserted
partition wall, accessed via a set of double doors from the lobby with a further set of double doors
giving access to the stair hall to the east. The lift lobby/ lift area is again plain, plastered and
painted, with deep moulded timber skirting boards and modern light fixture.
Lobby and Lift Area to the East of the Stock Support Services
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 27The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
Wiring and Services in the Lobby Lift Lobby/ Lift Area
The Stair Hall
The stair hall is located to the east of the lobby/ lift area. It is accessed via a set of double timber
doors set in timber surround with decorative lintel with dentilated cornice and scrollwork. The door
is modern, panelled with upper and lower glass panels. To the north wall there is another set of
timber double doors, which grant access from the street. These are historic, with upper glass
panels leaded in the same design as many of the windows and doors throughout the structure. The
decoration to the stair hall is plastered and painted to the upper section and laid with decorative
ceramic tiles to the lower section. They are a combination of plain maroon, plain cream and a
border of floral motif in yellow and maroon. The banister is timber with a black metal mesh
framework above. The spindles are cast iron.
Stair Hall with Ceramic Tiles Decorative Metal Work to Banister
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 28The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
Dispatch Centre and Joint Fiction Reserve (Formerly the Newspaper Reading Room)
To the east of the main library was formerly the Newspaper Reading Room; this has been
subdivided into three spaces by modern partition walls. The north-eastern section houses the
Dispatch Centre and the Joint Fiction Reserve (JFR). The area to the north of the space currently
houses the borough’s JFR on rolling stack set on metal runners that have been cut into the parquet
flooring. Walls are plastered and painted with deep moulded architrave, pilasters and a moulded
dado rail. There is also a moulded picture rail, which has been painted a contrasting colour. The
plastered ceiling is gently arched, and mimics the curved head of the large window in the east wall.
The flooring is herringbone parquet with a deep moulded timber skirting board. The lighting is
modern, suspended fluorescent tube lighting.
Dispatch Centre and Joint Fiction Reserve
Community Services Office (Formerly Newspaper Reading Room)
To the south of the Joint Fiction Reserve is an office area for borough-wide community services
staff. This was formerly the southern and eastern section of the Newspaper Reading Room, which
has been divided by a modern partition. The walls are plastered and painted with a deep moulded
timber skirting board, deep moulded architrave, pilasters and a moulded dado rail. There is also a
moulded picture rail, which has been painted a contrasting colour. The flat plastered ceiling is
coffered and the recesses painted peach. The floor is carpeted but it is assumed that the
herringbone parquet floor found in the rest of the former Newspaper Reading Room is underneath.
The lighting is modern, suspended fluorescent tube lighting. The partition wall has glass panels to
the top of the wall. This space is now used for office accommodation and contains office furniture,
and modern suspended light fixtures. Peeling paint and stained plaster indicate water ingress in the
southeast corner of the room.
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 29The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
Community Services Office Showing Partition Wall
The Southeast Corner Signs of Water Ingress
Office and Lobby (Formerly Newspaper Reading Room)
The Lobby and Office is located along the western side of the former Newspaper Reading Room,
formed by inserted partition walls. The walls are plastered and painted with a deep moulded timber
skirting board, deep moulded architrave, pilasters and a moulded dado rail. There is also a
moulded picture rail, which has been painted a contrasting colour. The flat plastered ceiling is
coffered and the recesses painted peach. The floor is covered in herringbone parquet. The lighting
is modern, suspended fluorescent tube lighting.
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 30The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
Lobby and Office Showing Partition Wall Lobby and Office
The Children’s Library (Formerly Magazine Room)
The Children’s Library is located directly to the south of the entrance lobby. It was once a larger
space (the Magazine Reading Room) that has since been divided by a partition wall to form the
Children’s Library and the Carnegie Gallery. The Children’s Library has plastered walls painted blue
and white with a decorative moulded picture rail, deep moulded architrave and applied pilasters.
The flooring is herringbone parquet with a deep moulded timber skirting board. The flat ceiling is
coffered and the recesses painted peach.
The lighting is of a modern design and consists of square metal frames suspended from the ceiling.
Fixtures and fittings in this room include numerous free standing bookshelves both along the walls
and projecting into the room. There are also rows of shelves along the southern partition wall. This
modern partition wall has a row of square lights to the upper section.
The Children’s Library The Children’s Library Showing Partition Wall
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 31The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The Carnegie Gallery (Formerly Magazine Room)
The Carnegie Gallery is located to the south of the Children’s Library; together they once formed a
single space that occupied the southern side of the single-storey range. The Gallery has plastered
walls painted green, blue and white with decorative moulded dado rail and picture rail, deep
moulded architrave and applied pilasters. The flooring is herringbone parquet with a deep moulded
timber skirting board. The ceiling is gently arched, and mimics the curved head of the large window
in the east wall. The lighting is suspended modern fluorescent tubing. There are very few fixtures
in this room; pieces of art work are displayed, suspended from the picture rail and below the lights of
the partition wall. Desks and chairs are set out throughout the room, and there is a single display
panel at the eastern end of the room.
The East End of the Carnegie Gallery
Librarians’ Work Room, Office and Strong Room
The Librarians’ Work Room and Office are situated to the west of the Carnegie Gallery. This area is
accessed through a timber door with lights above from the Main Library. The walls are plastered
and painted cream. The ceiling is also plastered and painted white, with deep, painted beams
dissecting the ceiling on an east-west axis. In the northern wall that separates the space from the
library, there are two 16 light mullion and transom windows. The lights are leaded and some
contain elements of a decorative floral design. There are tall oak bookcases to the east and west
walls, and a cast iron fireplace next to the Office partition on the east wall. There is a variety of
office furniture in the room; lighting is of modern suspended fluorescent tube lights and the floor is
carpeted. In the western wall there is a small door that gives access to the Strong Room. This
contains apparently original metal shelving with decorative brackets and a safe. The walls are
plastered and painted with a continuous profile carve into the walls at dado rail height.
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 32The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The Librarians’ Work Room The Office Inserted into the Librarians’ Work Room
Looking into the Strong Room from the
The Safe and Metal Shelving
Librarians’ Work Room
The office has been created by the insertion of two semi- glazed partition walls. It is accessed
through a door in the west partition wall. There is simply a desk against the western partition wall
and another tall oak bookshelf on the eastern wall. Lighting is of modern suspended fluorescent
tube lights.
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 33The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The Office Fireplace in the Librarians’ Work Room
Staff Corridor
The corridor to the southwest gives access to the Staff Room (originally File Room) and Staff
Kitchen. It is plastered and painted cream, with a carved profile in the plaster at dado rail height.
This is an original detail that is repeated in the Strong Room and some other corridors in the
building. The doorways providing access to the Staff Room and Staff Kitchen are timber, set in a
moulded timber surround. The doors are panelled with an upper panel and two lower panels. The
central panel has been altered by replacing it with a glass panel. The doors also have decorative
metal fingerplates. The floor is parquet set in a herringbone pattern.
Corridor to the Staff Room and Staff
Altered Doors within the Staff Corridor
Kitchen
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 34The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The Staff Room/Meeting Room (Formerly File Room)
The Staff Room/Meeting Room is located at the end of the corridor, in the south-western corner of
the ground floor. It is a plain, functional room, with plastered walls painted light cream. The only
decoration is a deep timber skirting board and the carved profile in the plaster at dado rail height.
There are several examples of electrical wiring that have been boxed in and a modern radiator
under the window in the south wall. The room is carpeted and the lighting is modern fluorescent
tube lighting.
The Staff Room/Meeting Room The Staff Kitchen
The Staff Kitchen
The Staff Kitchen is located to the north of the Staff Room. It is irregular in plan form, square but for
the southwest corner, the south and west walls being linked by a diagonal wall. This was the former
location of a stove. The walls are plastered and painted cream, with carpeted floor and modern
fluorescent tube lights. The kitchen cupboards, with white tiles below, and a sink are situated in the
northwest corner; the oven and fridge are on the west wall. There is another small tiled area and a
table with kitchen equipment against the south wall.
2.4.6 Interior- The First Floor
Stair Case/ Stair Hall
The stair hall is located to the east of the lift/ lift lobby. The decoration to the stair hall, as with that
to the ground floor, is plastered and painted to the upper section and laid with decorative ceramic
tiles to the lower section. They are a combination of plain maroon, plain cream and a border of
floral motif in yellow and maroon. The floor is a combination of timber parquet to the landing section
and concrete steps. The banister is timber with a black metal mesh framework above, the spindles
are cast iron. There are damaging insertions of ventilation ductwork along the upper wall.
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 35The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The Stair Case
Inserted Ductwork
Lift Lobby Exterior
The Lift Lobby is created by the insertion of partition walls into the main Lecture Hall. It has arched
tops to the walls of the lobby and lift shaft and deep moulded timber skirting boards. There is also
boxed-in electrical wiring in the centre of the Lobby walls.
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 36The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
The Lift Lobby and Lift Shaft Tubing Inserted in Lecture Hall Window
Lecture Hall
The Lecture Hall is located to the north west of the building in the northern three-storey side wing.
The space is entered from the first floor landing via modern timber doors with upper glass panels
and number lock system. The doors are set in a moulded timber surround with dentilated cornice
detail and topped with scroll work. This is now a large empty space. The walls are plastered and
painted, with moulded dado rail and picture rail. There is also boxed in electrical wiring and plug
sockets along the north, west and south walls. There is a deep moulded timber skirting board and
architrave, and as with the main library and there are applied pilasters in some areas. The ceiling is
arched with modern suspended fluorescent tube lighting. The floor is timber herringbone parquet.
There are areas of damaged flooring, both in the centre of the room and to the sides. There are
modern radiators to the north and south walls. Several window panes have been damaged by the
insertion of ventilation tubing.
The Lecture Hall
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 37The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
2.5. The Setting
The Carnegie Library is located on Herne Hill Road; it occupies an entire block in-between Haredale
and Ferndene Road. It is a prominent structure within the streetscape, a landmark with its
surroundings, as it is encircled mainly by private houses, not public buildings. To the northeast of
the library is Ruskin Park, a public park of 36 acres that was opened in 1907. The only other public
building in the immediate vicinity is the Church of St Saviour, a Grade II listed building. The Church,
completed in 1914, was originally built as the Church Hall and became the parish Church when the
old church was demolished in 1981. Herne Hill Road extends to the northwest from Herne Hill, a
busy tree lined thorough fare that rises from the south. Herne Hill is characterised by red brick
commercial premises to the south with more residential properties to the north. It forms the
boundary between the boroughs of Lambeth to the west and Southwark to the east.
Herne Hill Road The Church of St Saviour
Historically, the Herne Hill area was heavily wooded until the mid 17th century when much of the
woodland was cleared. The area remained a rural settlement through to the early 18th century.
Many of the small villages to the south of the city were developed as suburbs in the mid/ late18th
century as London began to expand. Smart ‘gentry’ houses were built in the area in the late 18 th
century as the first phase of this suburban expansion. Further suburban development occurred in
the area in the 19th century, with opening of the Herne Hill Railway Station (Grade II listed), built by
the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. This opened in 1862, and brought with it varying degrees
of suburban development including terraced as well as semi-detached and detached housing.
Kathryn Sather & Associates Page 38The Carnegie Library, Lambeth: Conservation Statement
3. Significance
This section contains a Statement of Significance which addresses the significance of the Carnegie
Library overall and each of the individual buildings and significant interior rooms. This has been
compiled using the values outlined in English Heritage’s Conservation Principles, Polices and
Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment. A detailed schedule of
significance is then provided which assesses levels of significance for exteriors, and interior rooms
or groups of rooms, followed by plans which set out the levels of significance for each floor and the
external areas.
3.1. Statement of Significance
3.1.1 Overview of Significance
Evidential Value
“Evidential value derives from the potential of a place to yield evidence about past human activity.
Physical remains of past human activity are the primary source of evidence about the substance
and evolution of places, and of the people and cultures that made them… Their evidential value is
proportionate to their potential to contribute to people’s understanding of the past. The ability to
understand and interpret the evidence tends to be diminished in proportion to the extent of its
removal or replacement.”11
The Carnegie Library provides evidence of the growth of the Herne Hill area of Lambeth and
the Council’s endeavours to provide important public facilities.
The design of the interior of the Library documents important trends in library design and
fittings and displays the influence of the prominent Chief Librarian, F J Burgoyne.
The building is evidence of the philanthropic works of Andrew Carnegie.
Historical: Illustrative Value
“Historical value derives from the ways in which past people, events and aspects of life can be
connected through a place to the present. It tends to be illustrative or associative. Illustration
depends on visibility in a way that evidential value (for example, of buried remains) does not. The
illustrative value of places tends to be greater if they incorporate the first or only surviving example
of an innovation of consequence, whether related to design, technology or social organisation.”12
The building is illustrative of the popularity of public libraries and the value placed on public
education during the Edwardian period.
The original open access layout of the shelves enabled patrons to browse the book stock,
without the aid of the librarian. This is illustrative of the evolution of library design in this
country and abroad.
11
English Heritage, Conservation Principles, 2006, 28.
12
English Heritage, Conservation Principles, 2006, 29.
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